


Flow

by FloodFeSTeR



Category: The Last of Us (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fear of Death, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mild Sexual Content, Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:21:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26354893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloodFeSTeR/pseuds/FloodFeSTeR
Summary: He was older. Much older.Okay, maybe not really? Pattyn didn't know his exact age, but it was obvious he had more years on him than her.But alcohol is always so blasé to those types of things.
Relationships: Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us), Joel (The Last of Us)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know what got into me, but I've been wanting to do a story for a Joel romance since the first game, only now getting around to it! 
> 
> I'm stoked though! I hope you will all enjoy this fic as much as I have enjoyed working on it ❤

He was older.

 _Much_ older.

Okay, maybe not really? Pattyn didn't know his exact age, but it was obvious he had more years on him than her.

But alcohol is always so blasé to those types of things.

Besides, it's a little too late to be worrying about _those_ types of things when he's already tossed her shirt to the ground, when his breath is hot against her neck and his fingers are working frantically on the button to her jeans. 

Pattyn panted softly as she tried to help him, in just as much a frenzy as him; but her cheeks were flushed, _his_ weren't. She felt like a teenager again, wondered if he felt the same way, being drunk and sloppy behind the bar to get some privacy when a bed was too far away. Pattyn preferred privacy, but she would take what she could right now - just a little human contact, that's all she wanted.

And they were both drunk, _lonely_ , so why not?

Pattyn hadn't been looking for anyone in particular when she went drinking tonight, had expected to go home with her regular, but this time she had ended up at the bar with -

"Joel?"

They both jumped at the voice, definitely another girl, and Pattyn dove for her shirt that was soaking up the bit of snow that had fallen before sundown.

Now she was _definitely_ reminded of being a teenager again.

There was a light on them before they had themselves together, finding Maria to be the flashlight wielder. It's hard to see her face through the light, but Pattyn swears she looks almost _angry_ at them.

"I see I interrupted something." She crossed her arms, but kept the light pointed at the two; Pattyn's cheeks were hot as she tucked her flannel back into her jeans. "Ellie has been looking for you, Joel."

"Yeah, y-yeah I'll be there in a minute," Joel muttered, annoyed and waving a hand at her to go away. 

Maria _hmph_ 'd at them and turned away, walking back around the corner she had come from. Joel sighed heavily and looked over at Pattyn, but she was too embarrassed to look at him at the moment.

"I'll uh. . ." Joel hesitated, taking a step towards Maria's direction. "I'll see ya around, yeah?"

"Sure," Pattyn muttered, refusing to move from her spot against the back of the bar.

Joel nodded slowly before he cleared his throat and went to find Ellie, at least that's what Pattyn assumed. She watched him walk away, waiting for his footsteps to fade before she groaned and softly hit her head back against the boards of the wall.

"Thanks, Maria," Pattyn mumbled before kicking off the wall and wandering home in the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry everyone, I've been having some major issues with internet since I moved, but its all sorted out now and I can FINALLY update this.

_Two weeks later_

* * *

The knocking on the front door is what wakes up Pattyn.

She blinks furiously in an effort to wake herself up, kicking off her sheets as the knocking continued. Her heart was racing and Pattyn knew she should just let Jesse get the door, but the knocking still hadn't stopped so she trudged on to the stairs. Pattyn wondered who could be knocking on the door, but then again she didn't exactly know what time it was.

Only halfway down into the living room, did Pattyn notice the knocking had stopped, so she had little time to turn around before being noticed. Both Jesse and Joel looked over at her, the former giving her a smirk a mile long, while Joel only gave her a small nod in greeting.

"Hell _o_ sleeping beauty," Jesse taunted, but Pattyn just rolled her eyes at him. "Seems we overslept, get it together and meet us outside."

" _You_ still have to get dressed, too." Pattyn turned to climb back upstairs, away from those _eyes_.

"Only takes me a minute, _sweetheart_." 

Pattyn shook her head, pausing at the top of the stairs when she heard Joel clear his throat. "I interrupt something?" 

Pattyn grew curious and lingered. She hadn't had much interaction with Joel since their sloppy little moment, and had been wondering if he had given her a second thought.

"Me and Pattyn? Nah man, she just moved in with no warnin'." Jesse chuckled, and Pattyn scowled in preparation for anything else he said. "We'll be out in a sec."

 _Maybe he's not such a cheeky prick,_ Pattyn thought to herself as she shut the door to her bedroom behind her. 

She began to scoop articles of clothing off of the floor, eyeing them as she worked to find something suitable for their patrol. Pattyn had been dreading this patrol, not just because she would have to go with Joel and Jesse, but because the cold weather was beginning to roll in and she didn't want to carry a coat with her; only the nights were cold as of late, perhaps she didn't need the coat?

"Fuck it," Pattyn muttered and left the heavy jacket on her bed as she shut the door behind her.

Pattyn muttered soft curses as she fumbled with the keys on her way out the door, unsure which was the right one without glaring at the doorknobs brand imprint. Once it was locked, Pattyn turned around and promptly froze, seeing only Joel there. He wasn't looking at her, just down at the ground and the snow that was in a small pile against the front of the home. He hadn't noticed her yet, and Pattyn almost didn't want to even _breathe_ to break his peaceful little moment of zoning out.

But he did notice her after a moment, giving her a half of a smile, hands tucked away into his pockets. "Jesse went ahead to get the horses," he answered her unasked question.

Pattyn nodded and grabbed the right strap of her pack. "Well, let's not keep the impatient _troll_ waiting, shall we?"

To that, Pattyn got a small chuckle and a nod, making her feel triumphant somehow. She followed behind Joel, trying not to walk too close; had he thought about that night at all? Pattyn had, mostly about being caught and the look on his face before he had fled to find Ellie. But she did think about more things now, things that made her scowl because she shouldn't be thinking about stupid stuff like that right now.

"We'll be relieving Ellie and Marshall at the radio tower, then on to the lodge." Joel said as they got closer to the stables.

Pattyn wrinkled her nose at the smell of the animals. "Why are they at the tower?"

Joel gave a heavy, annoyed sigh. "Marshall twisted his ankle."

"Again?" Pattyn chuckled from Joel's side; neither had seemed to notice her gravitate from her path behind him. "That's the third time this year, why do they send him out anyway?"

"Cus, he talks Maria into it every time he's better." Joel shook his head. "She's got a soft spot for that boy."

Pattyn chuckled as well, and they both fell into a comfortable silence as they approached their horses; Jesse was nowhere to be seen, however, which made Pattyn _extra_ suspicious. But, she didn't say anything about it, instead focusing on latching her pack to her horses saddle. Joel worked silently behind her, his back brushing against hers as he hoisted himself onto his mare, but he didn't notice - Pattyn was pouting. She recovered quickly and climbed onto her horse as well, cooing when it tossed its head up and down at her weight on its back.

"I don't think he likes me, still." 

Joel chuckled, but didn't say anything and just moved his horse alongside hers. Pattyn glanced at him, briefly, from the corner of her eye and saw the easy smile he had on his face, the languid rocking motion he had in time with his horses steps.

So unlike the man she had originally met.

It was Maria to see them off this time, no Tommy like usual. The group of three came to a stop when Maria held up her hand, a pleasant smile on her face as she approached Joel.

"Not gonna regret sending you together, am I?"

Pattyn's heart skipped a beat when she heard the question Maria tried to ask Joel low enough. Pattyn heard Joel sigh, but kept her head faced towards the map Jessie had unfolded in his lap. One part of her was embarrassed, the other part was ticked off that Maria was even mentioning this. What did she think was going to happen, that they would risk their lives out there for a quickie? Pattyn had just wanted a _moment_ for something other than patrols and community chores, watchtower shifts and all the dull things in between.

"Maria," Joel started, almost too low for Pattyn to hear. "This is our job, not a honeymoon. We got the boy with us, last thing ya should be thinkin of."

The heavy sigh Joel gave as he nudged his horse to finally go forward made Pattyn's stomach knot up a little, but she followed in step beside him, Jesse at the back of their group until they were out the gates. Joel chuckled as Jesse dug his heels in and drove the horse to a run, gaining a good two yards on them before he veered off to the right towards the tree line in the distance. Pattyn rolled her eyes, but smiled at the boy; he was only a few years younger than her, but Pattyn still remembered helping make him sandwiches when his father was doing chores and the like. Jesse was a faint figure in the distance, but a shrill whistle came from him as he turned his horse at the woods edge, a signal for a clear outing - for the moment.

* * *

It's dark by the time they make it to the radio tower, soft lighting through the busted windows signaling Ellie and Marshall are still waiting for them.

"Seems the snow is comin' in sooner than expected," Joel mused aloud as they all hitched their horses in the shelter at the base of the tower. "Might become a problem."

Pattyn hummed in agreement, Jesse doing the same as he looked out to the drift that was falling down steadily on their path. It had not snowed this early in years, perhaps not since the winter when Ellie and Joel had first visited in their search for the Fireflies. It would be old rations towards the end of this winter, and Pattyn _despises_ MRE's.

Pattyn jumped when someone bumped her arm, Jesse giving her a quizzical look. "You okay?"

She watched Joel climb the spiraling steps out of ciew before answering Jesse. "Yeah, just thinking about the rations to come."

Jesse chuckled at the frown of disgust on Pattyn's face. "You are so dramatic, they're not that bad."

She rolled her eyes and shoved him, but she was smiling. Voices slowly grew louder as they ascended to the log room; Mitchell was groaning dramatically, of course. When they entered the room, Pattyn saw Ellie basically hiding in the corner, glaring down at her shoes - why was she always so angry these days? Joel was staring at Mitchell with a bored look, hands on his hips.

"Son, if you would stop bein' so reckless, maybe you wouldn't hurt yourself so often." Joel shook his head and walked over to the log. "Pattyn, Jesse - come sign your names."

Pattyn chuckled when Mitchell groaned and dropped his head back onto his pack he used as a pillow. "You know Maria is gonna take you off patrol for the winter now, right?" Pattyn leaned into the book and signed her name beneath Joel's. "She won't send you out if you're gonna hurt yourself like this."

Mitchell grumbled too low for her to hear, but Pattyn chuckled again anyway. Not too long after, she was watching him and Ellie slowly trekking back towards home from her horse's side. Joel and Jesse had just come down from the towers control room, Joel scowling slightly as he hooked his pack up to his saddle. Pattyn looked over at Jesse, only getting a shrug as he hoisted himself up onto his horses back.

"Think I should actually name my horse soon," Pattyn muttered, her attempt at conversation with Joel. 

Joel's expression relaxed when he realized Pattyn had sped up so her horse walled beside his. "Have a name in mind?"

Pattyn shrugged, eyes narrowing at the trail ahead of them; snow had already begun to build up in patches on the dirt. "Nothing I've thought of seems to fit, that's why I figured I would ask for your opinion."

Joel hummed. "Excalibur."

Pattyn snorted that time, a giggle bubbling up from her chest. "Far too majestic for this asshole."

Joel chuckled, leaning back slightly in his saddle. "I'll give it some thought."

At that, Pattyn couldn't help but grin for some reason.

* * *

"So. . ."

Pattyn looked over her shoulder to see Jesse lingering in the snow behind her. It was falling steadily now, the snow, in the form of delicate little flakes that had gathered in her hair. Pattyn sighed and went back to resting her chin on her knees and staring down to Jackson in its little valley.

"So?" 

Jesse sat down beside her, grumbling at the snow that wet his jeans. " _So_ , haven't even tried to make a move? I'm disappointed."

"Oh please." Pattyn rolled her eyes, but she smiled when she pushed his shoulder. "Kids these days."

Jesse snorted at her. "Kids? You're only like what...four years older than us?"

Pattyn chuckled but didn't respond, looking back down to their home. "I don't know how Dina and Ellie put up with you."

"You're the one that lives with me."

"Still don't see you as much as they do." Pattyn looked over at Jesse. "And I'm _six_ years older than you and the girls."

Jesse snorted again and stretched out his legs in front of himself, leaning back on his hands. He was staring up at the sky, and Pattyn mimicked his position to do the same. The snow was graceful as it fell down on them, the chill penetrating their coats but neither seemed to mind; Pattyn remembered when Jesse would do nothing but complain about the cold. 

"The silence is what gets me on patrol."

Jesse looked over at Pattyn, who was still staring at the sky. "Huh?"

Pattyn sighed. "The silence, when everyone goes to sleep it gets so quiet here. There's always a noise to hear in town, but not out here."

"I would kill for it to be this quiet in Jackson," Jesse grumbled. 

Pattyn chuckled. "You have ear plugs."

"I would like to sleep _without_ ear plugs."

"You two aren't much help if ya just goofin' off and _not_ on watch."

Pattyn and Jesse jumped when they heard Joel's voice, turning around to see the older man with his arms crossed over his chest; he had an eyebrow arched, wanting an explanation.

"It was your watch?" Pattyn punched Jesse in the arm and sighed, shaking her head as the boy grumbled his way to his feet. "Sorry, Joel, I didn't know it was his shift."

"And what're you doin up?" They both watched Jesse sulk away before Pattyn answered.

"Couldn't sleep," she mumbled, walking slowly back up to the lodge. 

A weight draped over her shoulders and Pattyn looked over at Joel with a blush on her cheeks, seeing only his friendly smile. 

"You didn't bring your coat," he said simply.

Pattyn cleared her throat, self concious as he climbed the steps behind her. "Didn't need it." But she wasn't shrugging off his coat either. "You need it more than me."

Joel shook his head when she offered it back. "Gonna go make sure Jesse is actually watching."

Pattyn grumbled as he walked out the door, dropping his coat down onto her sleeping bag and staring at it. "You can't do things like this, Joel," she murmured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another sorry if this seemed a little short :( unfortunately this is just a filler.


	3. Chapter 3

Pattyn can't sleep, tossing and turning in her sleeping bag until she has enough and sits up. She gets to her feet and feeds the dying fire until it fills the room with warmth and lighting, illuminating the slow rise and fall of Joel sleeping on his pallet.

After a moment of trying to quietly get her boots, and Joel's coat, onto herself securely, Pattyn finally makes it up the stairs to the balcony where Jessie is on watch. He looks tired sitting in his chair and staring into the snow drift outside. It was shocking to Pattyn, to feel how cold it had gotten in just a few, short hours. That morning, it had been cloudy, but the sun was so warm that Pattyn had genuinely believed _not_ bringing her coat was the right idea.

"Don't know why I can't come in and sleep," Jesse pouted, sinking further into his chair.

"Cus someone has to keep watch for Infected or, I don't know, maybe bandits that try to prey on us in our sleep?" Pattyn chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest, moving to stand at his left. "You hate the cold _that_ much?"

Jesse sighed. "Kinda, took a pretty nasty bullet wound in my shoulder two years or so back, on patrol, hurts when it's cold."

Pattyn furrowed her brow and looked down at him, but he was still staring out at the white blanket of snow. "I don't remember that."

Jesse shrugged and sat up straight again in his chair, finally looking up at Pattyn. "It was actually a clean shot, all things considered," he paused, chuckled. "Got lucky, if I had reacted any slower, it coulda been my head." His eyes flickered up and down Pattyn's figure, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "So, you're wearing his coat now?"

Pattyn felt herself blushing already. "Don't _even_ start," she snapped at him. "I didn't think it was gonna be like this, so I left my coat at home and he offered his."

"Uh-huh."

Pattyn rolled her eyes. "Why can't you let this go? Exactly why I didn't want to tell you anything in the first place." 

Jesse chuckled. "Lucky I caught you when you were stumbling inside that night." He stood up and stretched, groaning as he did so. "I will admit though, Joel has an impressive poker face, but it isn't perfect."

Pattyn chuckled that time and leaned back against the wall beside the door. "I heard him when he came to get us."

"I can't believe he actually said anything." Jesse shrugged and squinted his eyes at the sky. "Guess it _is_ weird with you moving in like you did. Dina wasn't happy about it, at first."

Pattyn hummed, staring down at the toes of her shoes. "I wouldn't imagine she would be thrilled, but did you tell her why?"

Jesse chuckled and smiled at Pattyn, earning an amused one from her, an arch in her eyebrow. "I didn't tell her the _whole_ truth." Pattyn gave him a confused look. "Didn't think she needed to know everything is all," he explained. "She was satisfied, and she tried to be your friend but said _you_ were the one that buffed her."

It was a small relief, hearing Jesse's words. Very few people knew why Pattyn had suddenly moved in with Jesse almost two years ago. 

Pattyn sighed. "Yeah, I just. . ." she shook her head. "I like Dina, we just didn't really click. And Ellie is always with her." Pattyn wrapped her arms tighter around herself. "Hope I wasn't the reason you two broke up."

Jesse groaned as he stretched again, his shirt riding up as his arms went over his head and the boy cringed. "We should honestly just call off watch and hunker down, wait for it to calm down out here." He looked over at Pattyn. "And no, you weren't the reason."

Pattyn smiled at Jesse again, staring out into the snow, the same as him. Pattyn was happy to have a friend in Jesse, she didn't talk to too many of the people around her age. He had been an annoying little pest most of the time, but it felt like what Pattyn assumed having a little brother would be like.

"Wanna hear about something _I_ shouldn't have heard?"

Pattyn blinked at Jesse a few times, her face completely blank as she let his words sink in. He looked _proud_ of his secret knowledge, like it was something he should be telling other people when he just fucking admitted _he_ shouldn't even know.

"Spit it out then," Pattyn told him.

"Knew you would wanna know," Jesse snickered and moved closer to her so they were both huddled in the corner of the balcony. "So, while you and Joel were taking your time _canoodling_ -" Pattyn made an indignant noise in her throat. " - your way to the barn, I overheard Maria sending Tommy off in secret to meet up with a group we sent out to scout near Seattle."

Pattyn frowned. "Seriously? I didn't know we had a group out that far."

Jesse nodded. "The only reason I know about the group is because they asked me to go, but I said no. I told them not to ask you, either."

"And why not?" Pattyn arched an eyebrow at him. "Think I can't handle myself on those kind of missions?"

Jesse waved a hand at her. " _Listen_ , I'm not done."

Pattyn sighed. " _Fine_ , but I take personal offense."

He rolled his eyes at her. "So anyway, while Joel and I were getting our things from upstairs at the radio tower, Maria call through on the radio and says we're to stay here and wait for Tommy."

"Why? We don't need four people on a patrol. Its not the middle of summer, we aren't gonna get over run up here."

"I don't know _why_ we're waiting for Tommy." Jesse gave a small grunt as he pushed himself off of the wall. "She didn't say anything else, so we just gotta wait for Tommy to show up and let us know what's going on."

Pattyn wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I...I kind of feel queasy," she mumbled, giving Jesse a worried look. "What if something happened to the group out there?"

"Can't think like that, Pat." Jesse placed a hand on her shoulder. "You need to go try to get some sleep, go warm up by the fire and I'll wake you when it's your watch."

Pattyn shook her head. "No, no you go ahead and go inside. I won't be able to sleep now."

Jesse frowned, dropping his hand to his side. "Sorry, I forget about your anxiety."

"It's fine, really." She slumped down into the chair Jesse had previoisly occupied and waved her hand back over her shoulder. "Just go get some rest, I'll wait for Joel."

She could feel him staring at the back of her head, but Jesse eventually went inside and Pattyn let out a sigh of relief when she heard the door shut. There was no way she would be able to sleep now, not with her mind trying to think of a quick and easy solution to why Tommy was coming here, why they sent out such a big group, why no one else knew about this.

It was stupid, to be worrying over things that probably hadn't happened, or to be wondering about the bad news that was sure to come with Tommy's arrival.

Pattyn felt her stomach twist up even tighter.

* * *

When the sun begins to come out, Pattyn hears the door open behind her but doesn't move. Joel's heavy steps come to a stop to Pattyn's right, and she knows he is staring out at the fading snowdrift just as she is.

"Shouldn've let him off watch," Joel said in a scolding tone. "You didn't sleep at all, did ya?"

Pattyn shook her head and gave a heavy sigh, still refusing to look up at him. "Jesse told me about Tommy and my anxiety just took off." She sat up a little in her seat. "Why didn't either of you tell me about that at the radio tower?"

Joel sighed. "Didnt seem like the right time."

"Literally makes no sense." Pattyn stood from the chair, turning in the small space given between the balcony to look at Joel. "You didn't tell me because I'm the one heading home, huh? Don't lie, we don't need four people."

"Pattyn," his voice was soft, surprising. "Jesse is the one we're sending back to Jackson. You'll stay here."

Her brow furrowed deeply, and Pattyn flexed her fingers at her sides. "Why are you sending him back? I thought..."

"Jesse is doing stellar on patrols, for sure." Joel looked back out to the tree line finally visible. "That's why I'm sending him back to get more patrols out, including Ellie. I need you here for when Jesse gets back."

Pattyn shook her head. "Joel, none of this is making sense - why do I have to stay here? Why does Jesse have to go get more people out? Is something going on?"

She wanted to blab about what Jesse had said, about where Tommy had been sent off to, but didn't, feeling like he would get in trouble for overhearing the first bit. 

"I'll let Tommy fill us all in when he gets here, he only gave me the instructions when I contacted him last night."

Pattyn shook her head again, crossing her arms over her chest and looking down at the faint walls of Jackson down below them. "How long until Tommy gets here, you think?"

"Should be sometime this afternoon, that's what he told me. Said Maria sent him out towards Seattle, but he didn't even have to go all the way to know he needed to come home."

Pattyn sighed. "I wonder what's going on, I hate being in the dark."

Joel chuckled, then cleared his throat when his voice cracked. "You and me both, but Tommy said he wanted to tell us what was going on in person."

"So we just...sit here and wait?"

"Yeah, that's about it."

"Perfect."

* * *

When Jesse gets up, Joel sends him off with Pattyn to go survey in the woods nearby _just in case_. 

About fifteen minutes from the lodge, Pattyn is feeling her mistake of taking over Jesse's watch. Her legs feel extra heavy in the snow that has nearly piled up to her knees, while Jesse seems to be doing just fine compared to Pattyn, humming softly beneath his breath while he kept his eyes out for anything suspicious.

"Why didn't you get some sleep when Joel got up?" He gave her a coy little smile over his shoulder. "Too wrapped up in _passion_?"

Patty rolled her eyes as Jesse dramatically clenched at his chest, a smile slowly creeping across her face. "Will you stop?" She chuckled, but it sounded as tired as she felt. "Just couldn't sleep after what you told me about, with Tommy and all." 

"Did it really worry you _that_ much? If it were anything really bad -"

"I _know_ , we would just be heading home right now," Pattyn said, cutting Jesse off. "I _know_ whatever comfort you're going to try and give me and it's okay Jesse - my anxiety is making me overthink." She chuckled softly. "I'll get some rest when Tommy gets here."

Jesse didn't look back at her, but Pattyn heard his sigh and saw the nod of his head, that was enough. Pattyn smiled at the back of Jesse's head, wanting to say _thank you for worrying about me_ but kept quiet instead, focusing on keeping pace through the dense brush and snow. Pattyn had never thought she would have Jesse there to worry about her, and wanted to tell him that, but there was no way he was going to be down with her emotions; he was still a boy, after all. She could tell him later, maybe when they were back home and drunk-as-skunks in their house, because he would mosy likely end up forgetting it all.

It was a quiet walk, resetting a few traps on their path through the woods. Pattyn, no matter how tired, watched Jesse's back and kept an eye out to the forest. It was so quiet, the smallest twig snap could be heard for miles it seemed; everything echoed between the trees. Pattyn didn't see any animals, wondering if the critters were just as thrown off by the sudden storm at the humans were. 

"Let's turn back," Jesse said and stopped when they could both see where the forest was beginning to thin into an open field. "Nothing will be in the traps yet, but I'm sure Joel or Tommy will come and check them later."

Pattyn nodded and adjusted her packs straps. "Sounds good to me, I just wanna go sit down and eat something, I'm _starving_ and a granola bar sounds amazing right now."

Jesse chuckled. "You didn't bring anything to eat in your pack?"

Pattyn shook her head as they turned around, taking a slow pace back towards the lodge. "I couldn't find any back in Jackson, but I hid some here last time I was on patrol."

"How did that go? With Ellie, I mean."

Pattyn hummed, eyes flickering between their previous steps in the snow. "She's so serious," Pattyn mumbled. "I don't remember her being like that when they showed up looking for a clue to the Fireflies."

"I forget you've been in Jackson since the beginning," Jesse mumbled. "What were they like?"

Pattyn chuckled this time. "I remember how Ellie was, mostly, she had come in with Maria while Joel and Tommy caught up." She looked up, barely seeing the sky through the tree limbs. "She had this book of corny jokes, they were so _bad_ that they were good."

Jesse smirked. "Remember any of em?"

Pattyn blushed a little, chuckling softly to herself. "Uh...well, one of them." She cleared her throat and braced herself. "I had cheese, but no crackers - I was cracka-lackin."

The snort Jesse gave drew Pattyn's attention, a smirk on her face when she saw his cheeks puffed out, trying not to laugh. Jesse, very slowly, released the breath he had been holding and then his voice cracked, not being able to stop himself from chuckling. 

"That is _awful_."

"It's legitimately the best joke I _got_."

**Author's Note:**

> All editing done by CananaBananalism, she also assists with the plot. Go show her some ❤


End file.
